Skylight and safety device

ABSTRACT

The invention pertains to a skylight having a safety device whereby said skylight is automatically opened in case of excessive heat, said device including spring urged levers and a fusible connection between the latter.

D United States Patent 1191 [111 3,777,422 Janssen 1 Dec. 11, 1973 [54] SKYLIGHT AND SAFETY DEVICE 3,461,607 8/1969 Sandow et al'. 49/7 [76] lnventor: Leopold Mathieu Lambert Janssen, Rue P Chateau 2,097,242 10/1937 1100018011.... 160/191 Herseaux, Belglum 2,887,194 5/1959 Noltin et al..... 49/7 Filed: Nov. 1971 3,557,497 1/1971 Schafer et al 49/7 X [21] Appl. No.: 200,889 Primary Examiner-Dennis L. Taylor Attorneyr-V. Alexander Scher et al.

[52] [1.8. CI. 49/7, 49/8 51 110.01 E051 15/20 [571 ABSTRACT [58] Field of Search 49/7, 8, l; The invention pertains to a skylight having a safety de- 160/2-4; 292/201, DIG. 66 vice whereby said skylight is automatically opened in case of excessive heat, said device including spring [56] References Cited urged levers and a fusible connection between the lat- UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,60l,437 8/1971 Lyons 49/7 3 Claims, 17 Drawing Figures PATENTEU DEC 1 1 I975 SHEET 3 OF 5' INVENTOR.

L. N. L-Ja nssen PATENTEB DEC 1 1 I975 SPlET BF Fig: 14

INVENTOR.

A TTDR N 535 PATENTEB DEC 1 1 I975 Jig: 16

INVENTOR. /..M.L.Jc1nd3en AT'FOF NGB5 SKYLIGHT AND SAFETY DEVICE This invention is related to opening type skylights and more specifically to the problem of the automatic operation of the said opening in the case of fire and this without prejudice to hand operations.

A first object of the invention is that the disclosed safety device is, at one and the same time, compact, small sized and located without any prejudice neither for the efficiency nor for the aesthetic of the skylight so fitted out with a safety device.

Another object of the invention resides in the fact that the cross-type spring devices resting upon lateral sides of the skylight are systematically abandoned what, undeniably, is not only unaesthetic, but of an extremely precarious reliability.

Another object of the invention is found in the unitary character of the safety device which, being permanently under tension in the opening direction, operates almost instantaneously when the constraint, respectively the closing mechanism is freed either manually or automatically in consequence of a rise in temperature over the maximum limit or apredetermined alert temperature.

These various objects of the invention are reached with the skylight fitted with a safety device according to the invention and which is characterized in that it is constituted at least by the combination of a first lever articulating on a shaft and resting upon the idle part of the skylight; a second lever so shaped so as to form a hooking latch of the skylight opening, this second lever being articulated on the first lever; between these two levers, a fusible coupling; at least a spring type element permanently attracting the whole of the said levers and the said fusible coupling towards the engaging position, respectively the closing one of the opening of the skylight.

This original combination can evidently be made up in infinitely variable shapes in proportion to the morphology, dimensions and the relating position of the elements characterizing this device.

It is therefore as by the virtue of an ordinary example, without any limiting character, that a type is described in detail hereafter by referring to the enclosed drawings in which:

FIG. 1 diagrammatically represents a lateral and open position view of the skylight fitted with a safety device according to the invention;

FIG. 2 represents an enlarged scale view of the distinctive part indicated at F2 on FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view of the safety device in the direction of the arrow F3 on FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a view of the safety device in the direction of the arrow F4 of FIG. 2;

FIGS. 5 and 6 represent, respectively, a sectional view along the lines V-V and VIVI of FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 represents an enlarged scale view of the part indicated at F7 on FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a view of the safety device in the direction of the arrow F8 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 represents an enlarged scale view of the distinctive part indicated at F9 on FIG. 1;

FIG. 10 is a view of the safety device in the direction of the arrow F10 on FIG. 9;

FIGS. 11 and 12 represent, respectively, a sectional view along the lines XI-XI and XIIXII of FIG. 9;

FIG. 13 represents an enlarged scale view of the distinctive part indicated at F13 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 14 is a sectional view along the line XIV-XIV of FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is similar to FIG. 2, the safety device being represented in the closed position of the skylight;

FIG. 16 is similar to FIG. 15, the safety device being represented in its open position due to a manual opera the opening 1 through the intervention of a spring coupling 5, the other end of the said arm 4 being engaged into the strap-bolts 6 which are integral with the opening 2. The spring coupling 5 is, preferably, made so as to adjust the spring sollicitations of the opening. For this purpose, each arm 4 is integral with a ring 7 which rests upon a hub formed of two pieces 8-9, these two pieces being coaxial and in mutual contact through the grooved surfaces, respectively 10-11. The piece 9 is shaped in the form of a nut and is integral with the first piece 8 by the intervention of an axial bolt 12. Around the said bipartited hub 8-9 is disposed a spiral spring 13 of which one end is engaged into the ring 7 and the other end, 15, is engaged into the said piece 9 in nut form. Therefore, by turning the said nut in one direction or the other, one can respectively increase or reduce the winding degree, respectively the-inside tension of the said spiral spring 13.

Through this device, one therefore obtains that the opening 2 is premanently attracted towards the opening position yet that the described devices are extremely compact, located and practically without any injurious influence on the general aesthetic of the skylight.

The properly so called safety device is supported by the'frame l of the skylight and more specially by the median part of the edge 16 of the frame opposite the frame edge and the hinges of the opening. This safety device is destined to co-operate with a hooking catch 17 supported by the centre part of the edge of the opening 2 opposite the said hinge edge. This safety device is, in the circumstances, constituted by a first lever 18 articulated on a shaft 19 resting upon the frame part I of the skylight. A second lever, 20, is shaped so as to form the hooking latch 21 destined to cooperate with the hooking catch 17 of the opening 2. This second lever is articulated on the first one through a shaft 22. Between these two levers 18-19, is interposed a fusible coupling 23. A spring type element 24 encircles the said shaft 19 and rests up, by its end 25, on the corresponding part of the collar, and is, by its other end, 26, integral with the said first lever 18. This disposition is such that the assembly of the said levers 18-19 and the fusible coupling" 23 forming a triangulation which is permanently attracted towards the hookingposition or closing position of the said latch 21 because of the attraction of the spring 24. In the circumstances, is also integral with the lever 18 an arm 27 to which is connected a cable 28 susceptible of being ended off by a handle or some other gripping element in the view of the manual operation of the device.

The operation of this safety device is extremely simple. In fact, in the idle or closing position, the opening 2 is folded back onto the frame 1 and the hooking catch 17 is immobilized by the latch 21.

For manual operation, it just requires excerpting a traction on the cable 28, which has for effect to tilt the triangulated assembly 18-20-23, thus freeing the hooking catch of the opening which, attracted by the spring return type device 5, is brought to the fully open position.

One will also note that the arm 4 passing in the strapbolt 6 is fitted, towards its free end, with a head 29 forming, at one and the same time, stop and preferably damping device, purpose for which this head will, for

example, be made from proper synthetical material,

such as neoprene.

In other respects, if the temperature in the building, for example because of a fire, reaches the melting temperature of the material composing the fusible coupling 23, the latter breaks, thus disuniting the triangulated assembly. Under the double effect of the gravity and the attraction of the spring type elements 5, the second lever 20 is folded back, which brings about the separation between the latch 21 and the hooking catch 17. The opening 2 is therefore found free and brought almost instantaneously to the fully open position through the effect of the arms 4 with their respective spring type system 5.

The triangulation ensuring the automatic opening offers the advantage of appreciably reducing the traction and effort of the shearing on the fusible coupling, and more specially on the composing white metal thereof. This advantage is reinforced by the fact that the ratio of the lever arm of the oscillating staple 20 and the arm 18 (FIGS. 15, l6, 17) is in the order of 4 to l. Effectively, numerous proposed systems are hazardous and cannot be directly mounted, that is in order to excert a direct traction on the fusible coupling because of the fact of the maximal applicable effort in shear security on the welded white metal of the fusible coupling. This maximal effort is in the order of 50 kg. The safety device disclosed in the present invention appears quite well to be the only monolithical device allowing the use of a fusible coupling excluding tighteners, cables or other elements acting often and through necessity on two staples and hooking catches instead of only one as in the present case.

It will be noted that the operation of the safety device is systematic and that the latter is, at one and the same time, simple, compact, unitary, foolproof and of a constant efficiency in the absence of any delicate part or submitted to dangerous attractions. in fact, this total security comes especially from the absence of intermediate parts such as cable, tighteners, pins and various accessories. Now, the regulations of public order imply the use of one fuse under the complementary requirement that the said one and only fuse cannot undergo dangerous attractions. More particularly, the device disclosed by the present invention brings a systematic solution for fitting large skylights which require great efforts for the opening.

Evidently it goes without saying that the morphology,

the sizes and the relating position of the various elements previously described are essentially variable in so far as they stay in the same context.

One may also, for the very large skylights, apply one or more of such safety devices which are rendered mutually integral in order to be simultaneously operated under the same conditions.

The fusible coupling between the two main levers can be carried out under the forms and with the use of material or combinations of various materials by basing, for example, on the devices and the material which have already been used in various installations destined to fight fires.

The invention concerns the device itself as well as all the skylights or similar elements applied to such a safety device.

I claim:

1. An emergency-releasable latch mechanism for the hingedcover of a skylight, wherein the cover is heavily biased to open position relative to an access opening but is normally restrained in closed position by said latch mechanism, said mechanism comprising a mounting bracket for supporting said mechanism adjacent an unhinged edge of the cover, a first lever pivotally secured at one end to said bracket for swinging movement in a plane generally perpendicular to that of the access opening, a second lever pivotally secured at one end to said first lever intermediate the ends thereof, said second lever having at said one end a tooth for locking engagement with an edge part of said coverand being swingable into and out of cover-locking position, a fusible third lever connecting the other ends of said first and second levers and normally restraining said second lever in cover-locking position, said third lever being actuable to free said second lever for pivotal movement to release said cover, spring means biasing said first lever about its pivot on said bracket in a direction resiliently to urge said tooth into engagement with said edge part of said cover, and manually operable means connected to said first lever and able to pivot said first lever in a direction to bring said tooth out of engagement with said edge part of said cover.

2. An emergency-releasable latch mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said first lever has successive first, second and third portions, said first and second and third portions being substantially parallel to each other and wherein said second and third levers and said third portions of said first lever form a triangle wherein said third lever is substantially parallel to said second portion of said first lever.

3. Skylight according to claim 1, wherein said cover is heavily biased to open position by at least one device cooperating with an arm one end of which is pivoted to a frame surrounding said opening and another end of which is coupled to said cover, said device including a ring resting on a hub formed by a first piece and a second nut-shaped piece, said first and second pieces making contact grooved surfaces and being united by an axial bolt on which said nut is screwed, a spring being disposed around said hub the one and other ends of said spring being engaged in said ring and in said nut shaped piece. 

1. An emergency-releasable latch mechanism for the hingedcover of a skylight, wherein the cover is heavily biased to open position relative to an access opening but is normally restrained in closed position by said latch mechanism, said mechanism comprising a mounting bracket for supporting said mechanism adjacent an unhinged edge of The cover, a first lever pivotally secured at one end to said bracket for swinging movement in a plane generally perpendicular to that of the access opening, a second lever pivotally secured at one end to said first lever intermediate the ends thereof, said second lever having at said one end a tooth for locking engagement with an edge part of said cover and being swingable into and out of cover-locking position, a fusible third lever connecting the other ends of said first and second levers and normally restraining said second lever in cover-locking position, said third lever being actuable to free said second lever for pivotal movement to release said cover, spring means biasing said first lever about its pivot on said bracket in a direction resiliently to urge said tooth into engagement with said edge part of said cover, and manually operable means connected to said first lever and able to pivot said first lever in a direction to bring said tooth out of engagement with said edge part of said cover.
 2. An emergency-releasable latch mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said first lever has successive first, second and third portions, said first and second and third portions being substantially parallel to each other and wherein said second and third levers and said third portions of said first lever form a triangle wherein said third lever is substantially parallel to said second portion of said first lever.
 3. Skylight according to claim 1, wherein said cover is heavily biased to open position by at least one device cooperating with an arm one end of which is pivoted to a frame surrounding said opening and another end of which is coupled to said cover, said device including a ring resting on a hub formed by a first piece and a second nut-shaped piece, said first and second pieces making contact grooved surfaces and being united by an axial bolt on which said nut is screwed, a spring being disposed around said hub the one and other ends of said spring being engaged in said ring and in said nut-shaped piece. 